The Show-stopper

The Show-stopper

We were invited to Bang & Olufsen's cushy showroom located in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District to experience the visual spectacle that is the Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 4-103 plasma television.

With a viewing area of a whopping 103-inches, the BeoVision4-103 might not be the biggest TV in the world, but it is certainly the most expensive we've ever come across. Costing a mind-boggling S$230,000, it's enough to buy 46,000 McDonald Happy meals, or pay for 23,000 trips to the cinema. It's also enough to buy over 100 Sennheiser HD 800 audiophile headphones or even a nice E-class Mercedes-Benz! Make no mistake, this is a television that is for the obscenely rich.

But is there anything about the BeoVision4-103 that justifies its stratospheric price tag? Well, we are glad you asked. For starts, the screen of the BeoVision4-103 handles Full HD resolution of course, and is able to elevate, turn and even tilt the screen. This might not sound like much, but once you consider that the screen alone weighs about 250kg, you'll begin to appreciate and understand the amount of heavy-duty lifting that is required here. The motorized stand that the screen sits on is industrial grade stuff, which itself weighs about 250kg, and it uses gas actuators on either side to lift and tilt the hefty screen to your optimum viewing position.

The BeoVision4-103 also features the BeoSystem 3 video platform and a specially-made BeoLab 10 center speaker. It also has something nifty called Automatic Color Management, a proprietary Bang & Oluson technology. What this does is that it automatically scans the color scale of the television every 100 hours and then adjusts the temperature of the screen so as to compensate for the effects of aging that normally occurs in plasma screens. All in all, the BeoVision4-103 is a television that is in a league of its own.

As of now, we are told that already one Singaporean individual has expressed serious interest in the BeoVision4-103 so much so that he has already placed a refundable deposit. Also, we hear that there are at least another 20 other individuals who have also expressed their interest in acquiring one. Mind you though, with the hefty size and weight of the TV involved, the BeoVision4-103 TV might not be suitable for many homes - just think about the logistics and destination hurdles since it is much larger than your average doorway and elevators. Hopefully you wouldn't need to resort to getting a crane and a wrecking ball (we jest!)

The BeoVision4-103 is has just completed a press tour of the United States and Singapore will be its only stop in Asia. Interested parties can contact Bang & Olufsen to fix a viewing appointment.